M. Indra Kumar

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M. Indra Kumar is from Mangala village, near Bandipur National Park in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. His family had land a long time ago, but does not own any now. Indra, 38, lives with his wife and two kids, who go to school in Gundlupet, 19 kilometres away, by bus.
 
 Indra is the manager at  a wildlife souvenir shop in his village that supports the work of the Mariamma Charitable Trust. He also assists the Trust by documenting wild animal attacks on livestock. The Trust’s work includes financial compensation to villagers living around the reserve when they lose their cattle to predators like tigers, leopards and wild dogs.

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His photo essay is part of a larger collaborative photography project about living with wildlife, and the fifth in a series of six on PARI.

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This work was facilitated by Jared Margulies, in
coordination with the Mariamma Charitable Trust, located in Mangala village,
Karnataka. It was made possible with the support of a 2015-2016 Fulbright Nehru
Student Research Grant, a Graduate Student Association Research Grant from the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in-kind support from the Mariamma
Charitable Trust, and above all, the participation, enthusiasm and efforts of
the photographers themselves. B.R.
Rajeev’s help in the translation of the text was invaluable, too. All copyrights for the photo are held
by the photographers alone in accordance with PARI’s Creative Commons policies.
Any questions about their use or reproduction should be directed to PARI. Related stories:<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/when-jayamma-spotted-the-leopard">When Jayamma spotted the leopard</a> <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/we-have-hills-and-forests-and-we-live-here/">‘We have hills and forests and we live here’</a> <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/home-with-the-harvest-in-bandipur/">Home with the harvest in Bandipur</a> <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/close-encounters-with-the-prince-of-bandipur/">Close encounters with the Prince of Bandipur</a> <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/this-calf-went-missing-after-i-took-this-photo">'This calf went missing after I took this photo'</a>

'That is where the leopard and tiger attack'

‘সেখানে নিত্য লেগে থাকে চিতা আর বাঘের হানা…’

‘यही वह जगह है जहां तेंदुए और बाघ हमला करते हैं’

’یہی وہ جگہ ہے جہاں تیندوا اور ٹائیگر حملہ کرتے ہیں‘

‘ସେହିଠାରେ ହିଁ ବାଘ ଓ ଚିତାବାଘ ଆକ୍ରମଣ କରନ୍ତି’

'ইয়াতেই নাহৰফুটুকী আৰু বাঘে আক্ৰমণ কৰিছিল'

Mangala

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'That is where the leopard and tiger attack'

Indra Kumar, who works in Mangala village near Bandipur National Park, records cattle herders, leopard attacks, folk art performers and the harvest in this fifth photo essay in a series of six on PARI

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